💡 Fuel For Thought

The gap your training plan can't fix

Yesterday I received this email from a client: "It makes such a huge difference to fuel properly… especially during my longer runs. I feel so good for the rest of the day. Compared to the old days when I was soooo overtired and struggled with fatigue."

One month in. That's all it took.

What worries me, and why I keep coming back to this, is that the exhaustion she described isn't unusual. Constant fatigue, heavy legs, and struggling to recover between sessions. For so many endurance athletes, that has become the baseline. Normal. Expected. Just part of the deal.

It isn't.

Here's what I see again and again in practice: athletes who are deeply committed to their training, who follow a structured plan, hit their sessions, and invest real time and energy into getting better. But the fuel side gets far less attention.

The result is a widening gap between the load they're asking their body to handle and the resources available to actually handle it. Without adequate energy to complete training effectively and the nutritional building blocks to support adaptation, the body can't do what you're asking of it. The hours are going in. The gains aren't coming back.

This is exactly what I cover in my brand new free training: why that gap exists, what it's actually costing you, and the system I use with every athlete I work with to close it. Click here to watch it. ​

If you've been pushing through fatigue and telling yourself it's just a hard block or a busy season, it might be worth asking whether your fuel is keeping pace with your effort. You can't out-train an underfuelled body.

🚀 Endurance Highlights

1️⃣ Creatine and endurance performance

Creatine is one of the most researched supplements, with decades of evidence supporting its effectiveness in power- and strength-based sports, but its role in endurance performance is more nuanced than most athletes realise. This 2026 narrative review consolidated current evidence on creatine monohydrate across multiple populations, including a focus on endurance athletes, mechanisms, and safety.

The evidence is clear that creatine does not improve steady-state endurance performance or VO₂max. It shows more promise in high-intensity efforts during endurance events. Studies in triathletes showed an 18% improvement in power output during intervals performed after 30 minutes of continuous exercise, and trained cyclists improved their final sprint performance over a 120-km time trial when creatine was combined with carbohydrate.

Beyond acute performance, there is emerging support for creatine's role in accelerating glycogen resynthesis when co-ingested with carbohydrate, reducing post-exercise inflammation, and preserving fast-twitch muscle fibre characteristics during high training volumes.

Overall, creatine isn't a straightforward endurance supplement, and the decision to use it should come down to whether your training regularly includes high-intensity efforts, demanding race finishes, or blocks where recovery is the limiting factor. That's where the evidence is most relevant.

2️⃣ Rhodiola rosea, fatigue resistance and decision-making

In sport, the ability to keep making good decisions when you're physically exhausted often matters as much as fitness itself. This recent study suggests that Rhodiola rosea supplementation may support both cognitive function and physical performance under fatigue. ​

Twenty-four players were assigned to either the supplement or placebo group for four weeks. Across a range of tests: high-intensity running capacity, repeated sprint efforts, and football-specific technical tasks. The Rhodiola rosea group consistently maintained performance better under fatigue than the placebo group. The most striking finding was in the decision-making task administered after a fatiguing sprint protocol: the Rhodiola rosea group was both faster and more accurate, suggesting that the supplement may help preserve cognitive function under physical stress.

This study focused on male football players, but the main question is also important for endurance athletes. Making decisions while tired is crucial in ultra-endurance events, influencing choices such as pacing and navigation in trail races. It is important to investigate whether Rhodiola rosea has similar benefits for endurance athletes over longer periods. Although the current evidence is limited and based on a small group, the idea that nutrition might play a bigger role in cognitive resilience under fatigue is an area I'll be watching closely as the research develops.

🕵🏻‍♀️ Retail Finds*

This week's product review: Maurten Solid 160 vs LCM Bar / Rice Krispies

Here's another regular food vs sport-specific product comparison

Final take

While per bar, the Maurten bar is significantly higher in carbs, gram for gram, they are fairly similar. Beyond that, the biggest difference is that Maurten is oat-based while LCM are rice-based.

If you're not too fussed at the inconvenience of eating 2.5 bars instead of one, LCM may be a more cost-effective option. ​​​​​​​​

👩🏻‍🍳 Kitchen Creations

​Download the recipe​​​

Salmon with vegetable noodle stir fry Here's another quick, tasty and balanced recipe to enjoy for either lunch or dinner.

I'm committing to sending the most valuable endurance nutrition newsletter. I want to make sure that every piece of content you receive includes information that helps you on your journey toward achieving your personal best.

Happy fuelling!

Gaby | Endurance Nutrition Specialist

Ready to take action?

👉 Watch my NEW free training. Want to understand why your body isn't responding to training the way it should? I've just released a brand-new free training that walks you through the exact system I use with every athlete I work with, so you can finally close the gap between the effort you're putting in and the results you're getting. Watch now. ​